The A Team
by RileyMLG
Summary: "Marlene?" Sirius' voice rang out. "What happened?" "I didn't want to walk here." she said simply, hanging up her coat from where she stood, having just Apparated into Sirius' flat. "It's cold." SONGFIC, 'The A Team' by Ed Sheeran.


**_A/N: _Okay, if you haven't listened to the song 'A Team' by Ed Sheeran, I suggest you do so before reading this fic. I just heard it two weeks ago and immediately thought of BlacKinnon and started writing. This story focuses on mainly Marlene. I hope you like it!**

**_Disclaimer_: All characters are owned by J.K. Rowling and all song lyrics are owned by Ed Sheeran.**

_White lips, pale face. Breathing in snowflakes. Burnt lungs, sour taste._

_Light's gone, days' end. Struggling to pay rent._

_Long nights, strange men._

The raven-haired beauty strode through the Muggle alley with no expression. The only part of her that betrayed she was full of fire were her olive-coloured eyes which flickered with an uncountable number of emotions. Her tall, yet lank stature gave the impression of one-too-many skipped meals and the small,wobbling steps she took made no doubt arise that she was broken.

The November midnight swirled around Marlene McKinnon, choking her already damaged lungs with it's icy flakes. Having to spend the last three hours in the smoke-filled Hog's Head does that to a girl, you know. The vile stench of malice and firewhiskey clung to her tattered robes like grime, not to mention the fact she inhaled so much, she could smell it on her breath.

The shops around her were closed, as expected. The long day had come to an end that didn't do it justice- Marlene had a theory that no matter what happened to you during a day, something good has to happened, as well. That theory was disposed of long before this night, though. Trying to uphold a flat housing her four Hogwarts-attending siblings and herself was most certainly not the easiest thing she's ever done. The nights are so much longer than even her eighteen-year-old self had dreamed three years ago. She used to be looking forward to trying to catch the Death Eater's planning something. A murder, a rally, a picnic- anything would do, really. Her job for the Order was to coarse all the information she could out of the strange men she wanted nothing to do but _Stupify._ Of course, she still looked forward to her nights at the Hogs head. Now, that was the only thing she looked forward to. They had ruined her.

_And they say she's in the class A Team,_

_Stuck in her daydream, been this way since eighteen._

Sirius and she used to joke that the Order should be called the A Team- Alpha Team. _Obviously_ the best, _obviously_ the winners. Marlene now thinks it should be called the A Team- 'A' standing for Avenge. The war was all about taking back the rights that had been snatched so cruelly away from you. It was about being normal again. Regaining some sort of innocence. Avenging the person you once were in order to become them once more.

Marlene's deepest desire is to be the eighteen-year-old girl that she was, once upon a time. The girl who was so confident that the war would blow over because of a few teenagers and a handful of elderly witches and wizards putting in their two knuts. The girl that could talk to Sirius without one of them ending up throwing something at the other. The one who actually _wanted_ to talk to him. The eighteen-year-old who needed avenging.

_But lately, her face seems slowing sinking, wasting._

_Crumbling like pastries._

_And they scream the worst things in life come free to us._

"Marlene," Sirius greeted softly once she arrived at his flat. Now that her siblings were at Hogwarts again, she usually stopped by Sirius' place several times a week. Recently, the number was dwindling, but not because of lack of hospitality on Sirius' part.

"Hey," she murmured, not removing her jacket.

"Want some soup? James made some and owled it over. It's not as good as Lily's, but she decided she needed to read every healing book printed to cure Harry's ear ache so she hasn't time for much of anything..." he offered, trailing off and attempting to unravel the Slytherin scarf she was told to don to make the Death Eaters more comfortable about sharing their plans none-too-quietly in the dingy bar. If she wore her own Gryffindor emblazoned one, that'd just stir up suspicion.

Marlene irritably yanked the scarf from his grip and wrapped it tighter. "No, thank you."

The long haired boy sighed, his gray eyes that once sparkled with mischief dulling considerably."Don't start this again..."

"I'm not hungry."

And she wasn't. She had always been a healthy girl. Marlene was often called slim. Not skinny, but slim. _Healthy._ Now, the twenty-one-year-old was barely more than skin and bone. She was never hungry anymore, and if she forced herself to eat, she'd get sick.

Sirius brushed a hand across her now-defined cheekbone. "You're wasting away, love."

"Sod off." she muttered, though she leaned into his hand.

"Marlene, you're crumbling right before me. I can't watch this any longer, it's driving me mad!" he raised his voice. The brunette stood up.

"Wait," Sirius said, pinching the bridge if his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "please stay."

"I have to go," she said without expression. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sirius." she said with a forced smile.

"Want to stay over? You can come to the meeting with me. You always show up too early and then you're the only one in Dumbledore's office and I don't believe that excuse that his things break themselves, you klutz." Sirius said, walking her to the door.

"I'll just meet you there," she hedged, pecking him swiftly on the cheek and Apparating instantly away, even though she was mere feet from the door and lived across the hall.

Sirius stood silently for a moment, seemingly lost in deep thought. He then pulled out his worn wand and blasted apart the bowl of soup he had prepared for the girl that meant everything to him before stalking away to his bedroom, slamming the door even though she was long gone.

She was free. Well, she used to be free. Free for him, anyway. She didn't have a boyfriend. He didn't have a girlfriend. They fit so perfectly together, there was no need for a label. They knew what they had, and that's all that matters. They didn't fit so perfectly anymore. The war had changed her, hollowed her into a mere shell of the strong woman she once was. She was still free for him, though, but she wasn't herself anymore. The worst things in life come free to us.

_'Cause we're just under the upper hand. Go mad for a couple grams._

_And she don't want to go outside tonight._

Moody slammed down onto the creaking desk the parchment the brunette had neatly written her scarce observations on last night. Marlene didn't flinch- she was used to his dissapointment by now.

"This all?" he grunted. She nodded. "Very well, Miss McKinnon- I see you're on again for tonight; let's try to get a little more information out of those cowards, yeah?"

"Yeah," she echoed, standing up and retreated to the door.

"Constant vigilance!" the gnarled Auror boomed from behind her. She shut the door to his office quickly and slid down the wall to regulate her breathing. Slytherin scarf or not, they weren't willing to discuss much of anything worth finding out in front of someone who's not in their inner-circle. Of course, when Sirius and Benjy go out, they get to take Polyjuice Potion to become Death Eaters so they can actually talk _with_ them and not just listening. Briskly standing up, she opened the door again and resumed conversation with the man.

"Moody, can't you spare a bit of Polyjuice Potion so I can interact freely with the Death Eaters?" she asked, looking a lot more confident than she felt.

"No."

"I- wait, 'no'?"

Mad Eye grunted. "You heard me the first time, McKinnon. Don't be asking for trouble."

Her olive-coloured eyes widened in outrage- in fire. "Fenwick was allowed to take the potion just last week! Don't tell me we've run out?"

"Benjy Fenwick trained to be an Auror- he can handle situations such as these. You've never taken it before and we can't have you messing up the investigation while we're so far ahead!" Moody insisted, glaring right back at the tall woman.

Marlene snorted. "Fenwick dropped out of Auror training after two weeks. He's no more trained than I am."

"McKinnon, I do believe you have your shift in three hours, so you ought to get ready. Maybe eat a thing or two- I bet the Polyjuice Potion wouldn't even work on you, you're so frail." he bit out angrily, softening up a bit near the end of his statement. "You can't save the Wizarding world by yourself, Miss McKinnon, and you ought not wear yourself out trying to." he finished gruffly.

"Fine."

"Fine? I thought you'd put up a fight."

"I meant," Marlene continued, "Fine, I'll brew it myself."

Moody narrowed his beady brown eye, his false bright turquoise eye whizzing around in annoyance. "You don't have the ingredients."

She stopped and thought for a moment. "I have... everything... _mostly._" she muttered, mentally assessing her cupboards.

"Tough."

"Come on, Moody! It wouldn't even be ready for a month! I'd go mad for a couple grams of Boomslang skin- is that too much to ask?" she begged.

"Yes. Get out of here, McKinnon." he barked.

"But... but... it's cold outside." she hedged, needing an excuse to stay inside for a couple more minutes and convince him to hand over some of the much-needed potion ingredients.

"McKinnon!" he scolded.

"I don't want to go outside, it's positively freez- _alright_, _fine._ See you tomorrow," she muttered before leaving the cramped office, emotionless once more.

_And in a pipe she flies to the Motherland,_

_sells love to another man._

_And it's to cold outside_

_for angels to fly._

"This really is quite marvelous, Lucius," Marlene mimicked the way the other Death Eaters were behaving as they drank their firewhiskey and smoked Gillyweed with their fancy magical pipes. She hadn't been able to gain the necessary ingredients for the Polyjuice potion, but she had popped over to Dorcas' flat before leaving for her shift and the blonde girl had warily transfigured her raven hair short, frizzy, and black and changed her button nose to a long and unfreckled one. Her forest coloured eyes had been changed to a steel colour similar to Sirius', allowing her to be easily accepted as a female cousin of the Blacks. Bellatrix, Lucius' sister-in-law, was a bit weary of her at first, but after being assured that she was a former Slytherin and appreciated the Dark Lord's values, Bellatrix was delighted that another female had joined their Death Eater meetings and was raving on about the demolition of Mudbloods and Muggles alike.

After a few seemingly endless hours, Marlene's shift was over. "Alright, lads, I do appreciate this, but I'll have to get going- Muggles to torture tomorrow, you see." the girl bit out, her words laced with sarcasm as she was about to snap. She was sick of everything these people were and she couldn't stand another minute in their presence. The girl was proud of herself, though. Now, she knew when they meet and where they meet, so the Order may be able to track them down as soon as the next day.

"Oh, come on, Tuncana," -her chosen constellation name- "at least stay for another firewhiskey." Bellatrix urged.

"No, I really must be going." Marlene argued, plastering on a fake smile as she stood up, trying not to shake. It had only just occurred to her how easily they could figure out her false identity.

"Come, now, Tuncana. I'm having a hard time believing you can't spare a few minutes... for the sake of the Dark Lord." Lucius intervened, all playfulness in his voice disappearing. The table went silent.

"I don't have to prove anything to you by staying for another drink." Marlene said indignantly. She then realized Dorcas didn't tell her when the effects of her appearance would wear off. "The Dark Lord knows I'm one of his most loyal followers. I bid you goodnight." she said while backing away, not willing to turn her back to the evilest of murderers.

"If you really love his values," Bellatrix said silkily. "Show us."

"W-What?"

She smirked. "Show us how much you appreciate and love him. Sell it to us, make us believe. Go... go and torture a Muggle. Right now, so we can all see. After all," she paused to employ a sickly-sweet smile. "You could be a spy."

Marlene bit back a sharp bark of a laugh. "I've already proved my loyalty to the Dark Lord, and that's all that matters."

Lucius stood up. "If you have, then torturing a Muggle should be a well practiced and enjoyable sport for you, Tucana."

"I don't need to sell _you_ on my love for the Dark Lord. You're just some man." Marlene said defiantly.

The white-blonde's face darkened considerably. "What did you say to me, you little witc- _who_ _are_ _you_?" Lucius thundered.

Her facade was up. Her raven hair was once again long and thick, framing her face as the rest of her body morphed back to normal. She Apparated away instantly, one place set in her mind.

"Marlene?" Sirius' voice rang out. "What happened?"

"I didn't want to walk here." she said simply, hanging up her coat from where she stood, having just Apparated into Sirius' flat. "It's cold."

"Um, alright. You hungry?"

"No. Can I spend the night?" she asked in a very business-like manner, having already crossed to the small couch and curling up on it.

"Of course, Mar, but you needn't sleep on the couch! Go to my room, _I'll_ sleep on the couch and- you're asleep. Bugger." Sirius sighed, taking in the brunette who had just collapsed on his shabby piece of furniture, snowflake-covered hair making her look like a pale angel.

"I feel like you'll just fly away, sometimes." he muttered to her, removing her shoes and throwing a blanket over her. "But then you come back and fall asleep on my couch and claim that it's cold, and I know that you can't."

_Ripped gloves, rain coat._

_Tried to swim, stay afloat_

_Dry house, wet clothes._

"Blimey, McKinnon!"

"Oh, Godric, Marlene, are you okay?"

"You must be freezing, you poor dear!"

The twenty-one-year-old stared blankly at the rest of the Order. Fabian pushed a chair under her so she could sit, but she continued standing, dripping onto the carpet of Dumbledore's office. At that moment, Peter came rushing in, cheeks flushed, before paling as he saw Marlene.

"Blimey, McKinnon," he breathed. "what happened to you?"

"W-Water." she choked out, keeping a bit of distance from everyone in the room, not willing to let her guard down for a moment.

Peter jumped up. "You want water? Here- _Aguimenti! _Why won't it work? I was able to do it a few- never mind. _Aguimenti_! Here we go... oh, sorry, Professor. I should've transfigured a cup first, shouldn't I? Here, Marlene, I'll get a cup-" he rambled on.

"No, Peter," Sirius cut in. "she's drenched already, why would she want water? Marlene, what happened? It's not raining- or snowing, for once. How did you get covered in water?"

"The Death Eaters." she stated plainly, still standing although her knees were wobbling.

"Sit down, and tell us what happened, Miss McKinnon." Dumbledore insisted.

"It's Marlene, Professor," she reminded with a wry smile.

"So long as you call me Albus." the elder wizard responded with twinkle in his shocking eyes.

Sirius made a strange choking sound, his steel eyes on fire. "What. Happened." he all but growled. Everyone besides Marlene and Dumbledore shrank back.

"Apparently, before I Apparated away yesterday, one of the Death Eaters put a Tracking Charm on me." she said, leaving the reason she was covered in water to the imagination.

"Why did you need to Apparate away? It's not like you talked to them, Mar." Sirius said loudly, mostly to reassure himself, a pleading look in his eyes. "It's not like you... you _didn't._.. sodding bludgers, _Marlene_! Tell me you didn't talk to them!"

Marlene, eyes wide, just stared back at him. His face turned stoic. She shrugged and looked down, toying with her ripped gloves.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked without inflection in his voice.

"Didn't get a chance."

"Didn't get... didn't get a chance? You Apparated into my flat, told me you were cold, and passed out on the couch! You couldn't have slipped in the tiny fact the reason you had to Apparate is because an angry hoard of murderers figured out the person they were talking to was part of a secret organization set on destroying their leader?"

She shrugged again, slipping off her raincoat to dry her jumper with her wand. Whether it be because she was upset or frightened, the spell barely made the article of clothing less than damp.

"It's like I don't know you at all." Sirius shook his head. Remus looked on apologetically, Alice wanted to stand up for Marlene but simply couldn't, and the rest of the Order's eyes were darting from the couple like they were watching a Quidditch match.

"You don't."

The two words were simple, quiet, and exited Marlene's mouth as sharp as knives. Sirius didn't even glance back as he stalked out of the room.

"So..." Peter asked awkwardly. "What happened?"

"I feel asleep on Sirius' couch, and when I woke up, I went home. They were waiting for me in my flat." she said blankly, focusing on Dumbledore's piercing gaze.

"Who was waiting?" Alice Longbottom asked, concern crossed her round, sweet-looking face.

"The Death Eaters I talked to."

"Marlene, why were you talking to Death Eaters?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"I asked Dorcas to transfigure my looks. To disguise me."

Everyone's heads whipped around to stare incredulously at the blonde with the pixie-cut. "I didn't know!" she threw her hands up in the air.

"Continue." Dumbledore requested, his eyes loosing their usual gleam, leaving a thunderstorm brewing behind the half-moon spectacles.

"I started dueling them, but there were nine of them so I couldn't keep up." she swallowed, not wanting to look up into their disappointed faces.

"You poor child, no one could have handled that. Don't feel bad!" McGonagall reassured Marlene.

"I took out five-"

"Wow, really?"

"Five Death Eaters, all on your own?"

The Order started gossiping amongst themselves for a few seconds before looking back up at Marlene, urging her to continue.

"-but the the four that were left- it was Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix LeStrange, one that kept their mask on but I think there's a chance it might have been Evan Rosier, and Rudolph-something-or-other LeStrange- grabbed my wand and Apparated me away."

"I suppose you mean Rodolphus." Alice chirped. When Marlene nodded, she turned to Frank, who's face was very white and was gripping his armrest very tightly.

"He gives the Aurors a lot of trouble." was all he said through clenched teeth.

"Frank," Alice touched his arm. "he didn't do _that_ stuff to Mar- she sitting right there, alive and well. Calm down." his wife urged gently. Slowly, Frank relaxed, though the scowl was set on his face as he looked at Marlene with concerned blue eyes. "Continue, Marlene." Alice gestured for her friend to keep talking.

"Well, they brought me to Malfoy Manor- dodgey place, that is- and after a quick huddle, they started dousing me with '_Aguimenti'_ charms." Marlene said steely.

Peter looked sufficiently uncomfortable.

"So I started laughing- I mean, come on, evil murderers trying to water me to death? I thought they would try to make me swim at first." a cold smile twisted up her almost colorless lips, lines forming on her face showing how alien the action was. "But then they struck me with Lightning charms," she whispered, "and I wasn't laughing anymore."

"They electrocuted you?" Alice asked, horrified.

"For a few moments."

Frank gasped. "How did you get away?"

"Sirius makes me carry an extra wand at all times. I just Apparated outside of Hogwarts immediately and gave the password to come in." Marlene shrugged, although her lips were trembling with with the effort not to break down in front of everyone.

"Come on, dear," McGonagall said, very mother like to the frail, frightened girl who tried very hard not to show it. "let's get you dry, shall we? Your clothes are all wet."

_Loose change, bank notes_

_Weary-eyed, dry throat._

_Call girl, no phone._

"You still owe twelve Galleons, Miss." the crabby looking elderly landlord demanded, lips curled back in delight as the harried brunette dug mercilessly through her beat-up purse to find the proper amount of money.

"Don't worry," she huffed, brushing her long hair out of her face. "I've got some loose Sickles in here... somewhere in here..."

The man grunted. "I ain't need Sickles. You owe a dozen Galleons."

"What about Muggle bank notes?" she asked half-heartedly.

"Bloody well no!"

"Can I pay you in a few weeks? Once I've gotten my salary." she begged.

He grinned a malicious smile with yellow-green teeth that went nicely with his Slytherin pin. "This has been going on long enough, legally speaking, McKinnon. You've," he said with a forced air of generosity, "been officially evicted... just now." He cackled at his own humour.

"W-Wait, Sir, please!" she cried. "I can get you the money, I swear to Merlin I will!"

"According to the law," he read gruffly off of a torn sheet of paper that didn't look particularly official, in Marlene's opinion, "you have to remove your stuff within fourteen days or I get to claim it. You're allowed back once in those fourteen days. Once you step foot in your flat, you have to pack everything up and leave. No coming and going- the next time you go in is your last time. Have fun, Miss." the wizard smirked at her outraged expression.

"That's- that's- that's not even a real _law_! _Who_ do you think you _are_?" She thundered, the fire that's been occupying her eyes for the last few months finally burning an inferno, taking over her thoughts with rage.

It was bloody unfair, it was.

"Goodbye, McKinnon." he cackled, turning and walking away.

She wanted to call after him, tell him she could go upstairs and ask Sirius for a couple Galleons and return it to him right now, but her throat developed a lump and she couldn't speak for the life of her. Marlene was ashamed of how many times she's had to do that in the past few weeks alone- she got paid the absolute minimum from Moody for her sometimes shifts at the Hog's Head. Sirius, on the other hand, could support a large family with the pocket money he'd received even before getting disowned at fifteen. No, she was on her own- she didn't want to burden Sirius any more by asking for money, though he had loads to spare.

Marlene collapsed on the curb, tucking her knees up and burying her face in her overlarge-jumper-covered arms. She needed to talk to her mum- Mrs. McKinnon always knew how to solve problems, even in the Wizarding world, although she's a Muggle. The only thing is, Marlene didn't have a phone on her, so she could only sit there, hunched in on herself, imagining what her mum would be able to comfort her with.

_It's too cold outside_

_for angels to fly._

_An angel will die_

_covered in white._

"Mar, it's bloody July- why are you wearing that jumper? You'll overheat!" Sirius commented as Marlene was about to head out the door of his flat with her siblings to Diagon Alley. After being evicted from her own flat across the hall from his, Sirius insisted that Marlene and her brothers moved in with him- that flat was big enough for all of them and Marlene was forever grateful, except when he put her in awkward situations in front of the boys, such as loudly encouraging her to eat and making sure her brothers know if she gets enough rest. Today was no different.

"I'm always cold when I go outside, you know that." she hedged, attempting to doge out of the doorway. Sirius was too fast for her and yanked her back inside the flat.

"It said over the Wireless that today's going to be the hottest day all summer. Don't torture yourself like that." he insisted.

"The jumper's white- white reflects heat. I'll be fine."

"Marlene."

She sighed. "Guys, wait for me outside. Go on now." she shepherded her siblings out the door.

Marcus made a face. "Don't spend to much time snogging him- I need new textbooks from Diagon Alley!" he called over his shoulder. Marlene gritted her teeth.

"Don't let those scars take over your life, Marlene. Wear a vest and show all of those Death Eaters that you don't care what they did to you and that you survived it!" Sirius grasped her wrist and stroked a hand on her shoulder blade where he knew thick angry red lines settled.

The raven-haired girl snorted. "Yes, all the Death Eaters taking a mid-day stroll in Diagon Alley. Sirius, I don't want to draw attention to myself."

"You survived a brawl with ten Death Eaters by yourself just last week- wear your scars with pride!"

"I don't want my brothers to see what happens when you fight for the right side." she stated flatly, slapping away the hand that attempted to roll up her sleeve.

"You're going to die out there in that jumper, white or not. You'll _die._"

"Bye, Sirius." she pecked him on the cheek again before going out to meet her siblings.

By the next morning, a blazing headline blared across the Morning Prophet, not that Sirius was in any sober condition to read it.

**McKinnon Massacre: Gryffindor Angel found dead along with siblings. Parents' bodies found early this morning.**

**_A/N: _This might, in fact, be the most challenging piece I've ever written. I love writing Marlene, I feel like she's this happy, bubbly, sarcastic girl up until she leaves Hogwarts- after that, the war hits her hard and she doesn't know how to deal with that, you know? She's just used to everything working itself out in the end but when she realizes that she has to be part of the small force that has to make a difference, she retracts into herself, shuts Sirius out, and makes it her goal to try to get through the war without getting her own feelings hurt.**

**This fic is mad angsty- yeah, not something I'm used to. I'm only twelve, so writing romance and depression is kind of hard for me, but I hope you liked reading it nonetheless! I'm not too sure about the ending... please review, it'd only take five seconds and it'll make my day! (:**


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